Young entrepreneurs talk about going beyond grades and pay

As a young boy, Mr Nabill Shukry Johari always saw entrepreneurship as a way out of poverty—and he has proven himself right.

- Elisha Tushara

Now in his final semester as a part-time marketing student at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, the 27-year-old runs two businesses: Cheekies, a meal prep company supplying five food and beverage outlets, and Cheeky Media, a creative agency that helps brands thrive on TikTok Shop.

He said: "Through this entrepreneurship route, I'm able to save a lot of money and pay for my mother's medical expenses. And when we go out for dinner, we don't have to think about the bill. I can just treat my parents to a good dinner."

In the second edition of ST Podcasts Live, Mr Nabill was joined by Ms Adella Yeo Rae-Nyse, a fellow entrepreneur and co-founder of career-matching platform MatchHub.

Explaining why she turned her back on a nine-to-five job, Ms Yeo, 27, said: "Back then, our parents' definition of success was a good stable job, a good income and a basic standard of living... But what I really look for is happiness and self-accomplishment."